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Michigan farmer's 104.5-pound butternut squash breaks world record

Michigan farmer Derek Ruthruff broke a Guinness World Record when his butternut squash weighed in at 104.5 pounds. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records
Michigan farmer Derek Ruthruff broke a Guinness World Record when his butternut squash weighed in at 104.5 pounds. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

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Oct. 13 (UPI) -- A Michigan farmer earned a Guinness World Records title when his gargantuan butternut squash was officially weighed at 104.5 pounds.

Derek Ruthruff of Charlotte had his massive squash weighed at Dundee's Pumpkin Palooza in Dundee, Mich., and the gourd tipped the scales at 104.5 pounds, breaking a week-old Guinness World Record by just 1.5 pounds.

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Ruthruff, who has been competitively growing Atlantic Giant Pumpkins for four years, said his squash was planted on April 15, hand-pollinated on July 21 and harvested just prior to its Oct. 1 weighing.

The plant was grown using a seed from Christopher Brown's former world record 55.5-pound squash, which was grown in 2020.

"Combining my love of butternut and my passion for growing giant vegetables, I wanted to grow the largest butternut squash possible," Ruthruff told Guinness World Records.

Rothruff said he is still working on a plan for the massive squash.

"The squash is still intact and riding around with me in my truck. The plan is to find a qualified chef with a large enough oven to bake the monster," he said.

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